The following three articles refer to what has been a boiling pot of tensions that sit on the burner that is the middle east. The tensions have been building since late 2005, early 2006, when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad first won the presidential election in Iran.
Over the past year, Israeli prime minister has been visiting all sorts of foreign ministers (U.S., U.K., France, Russia and Germany) in an effort to galvanize support for what he publicly admits are harsh sanctions against the Iranian Republic, but which behind closed doors is really a green light with additional support for a military strike against Iran's nuclear installations.
The latest one occurred in Berlin, on Monday, and it was a historical one at that. For it was the first time an Israeli cabinet meeting had been held in Berlin.
The war drum beats are getting louder and all this boiling pot now needs is a spark to spill out not only over the middle east, but what would also consume most of the world's most powerful countries.
Iran says may hit Western warships if attacked
ReutersJanuary 19, 2010
Iran’s defence minister warned on Tuesday that the Islamic Republic could strike back at Western warships in the Gulf if it were attacked, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.
“The Westerners know well that the existence of these warships in the Persian Gulf serve as the best operational targets for Iran if they should want to undertake any military action against Iran,” Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi said.
ReutersJanuary 19, 2010
Iran’s defence minister warned on Tuesday that the Islamic Republic could strike back at Western warships in the Gulf if it were attacked, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.
“The Westerners know well that the existence of these warships in the Persian Gulf serve as the best operational targets for Iran if they should want to undertake any military action against Iran,” Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi said.
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Netanyahu, Merkel to discuss Iran
Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:03:10 GMT
After a secret meeting with US President Barack Obama's advisor Dennis Ross, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is visiting Berlin on a visit focused on Iran. An Israeli delegation comprising Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, and Defense Minister Ehud Barak have headed to Germany to attend the second German-Israeli cabinet meeting in the German capital Berlin. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle are to host the meetings originally scheduled for November. Netanyahu last week secretly met with Dennis Ross, a senior advisor to the Obama administration on Iran, who had accompanied US National Security Advisor James Jones to Israel. “On the agenda is obviously, among other issues, international pressure on Iran,” the prime minster's Spokesman Mark Regev said on Monday. A spokesman for the Merkel administration had earlier confirmed that Tehran and the failed Mideast peace process would be high on the agenda. An Israeli official talking to reporters in a briefing ahead of the Berlin talks said Israel feels its time "to act to upgrade sanctions" against the Islamic Republic. Both the United States and its close ally Israel have refused to rule out the possibility of a military attack against the country of more than 70 million people, should Tehran fail to heed their demands over its nuclear energy program. Tel Aviv claims Tehran's nuclear program poses a threat to its security. This is while Iran's nuclear activities have been inspected more than that of any other country by the UN nuclear watchdog and there has been no evidence to justify Israeli claims. Iran has not initiated a war with any country for more than a century.
Netanyahu, Merkel to discuss Iran
Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:03:10 GMT
After a secret meeting with US President Barack Obama's advisor Dennis Ross, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is visiting Berlin on a visit focused on Iran. An Israeli delegation comprising Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, and Defense Minister Ehud Barak have headed to Germany to attend the second German-Israeli cabinet meeting in the German capital Berlin. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle are to host the meetings originally scheduled for November. Netanyahu last week secretly met with Dennis Ross, a senior advisor to the Obama administration on Iran, who had accompanied US National Security Advisor James Jones to Israel. “On the agenda is obviously, among other issues, international pressure on Iran,” the prime minster's Spokesman Mark Regev said on Monday. A spokesman for the Merkel administration had earlier confirmed that Tehran and the failed Mideast peace process would be high on the agenda. An Israeli official talking to reporters in a briefing ahead of the Berlin talks said Israel feels its time "to act to upgrade sanctions" against the Islamic Republic. Both the United States and its close ally Israel have refused to rule out the possibility of a military attack against the country of more than 70 million people, should Tehran fail to heed their demands over its nuclear energy program. Tel Aviv claims Tehran's nuclear program poses a threat to its security. This is while Iran's nuclear activities have been inspected more than that of any other country by the UN nuclear watchdog and there has been no evidence to justify Israeli claims. Iran has not initiated a war with any country for more than a century.
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Jan 19, 2010 6:24 Updated Jan 19, 2010 13:37
'Iran ordered attack on Israeli convoy'
'Iran ordered attack on Israeli convoy'
Jerusalem Post
Last week's failed attempt on the lives of Israeli diplomats in Jordan was apparently carried out on instructions from Teheran, sources close to Jordan's General Intelligence Department (GID) revealed on Monday.
The sources said the GID was investigating the possibility that the explosives used in the attack had been smuggled into the kingdom by Iranian diplomats.
The attack itself was apparently carried out by local al-Qaida supporters who received money and explosives from Iran, the sources said.
On Monday, Al-Arabiya reported that an Amman taxi driver was arrested on suspicion of involvement in the bombing.
According to the sources, the GID believes that the attack came in response to the killing of Iranian scientist Prof. Massoud Ali Muhammadi in Teheran last week. Ali Muhammadi was killed by a remote-controlled bomb on a motorcycle.
On Monday, Iran's Interior Minister Mostafa Muhammad Najjar vowed to take revenge on Israel over Ali-Muhammadi's assassination.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused Israel of being behind the assassination, which he said had been carried out in "Zionist style."
The sources in Amman pointed out that the attack on the Israeli diplomatic convoy had been carried out in a way similar to the assault on the slain Iranian professor.
"We can see Iran's fingerprints on the roadside bombing," the sources said. "The investigation is continuing in various directions."
Israel has been on high alert in recent weeks ahead of the second anniversary of the assassination of Hizbullah terror mastermind Imad Mughniyeh in Damascus.
A number of attempts by Hizbullah to avenge Mughniyeh's February 2008 killing have been thwarted, including a plot last year to bomb Israel's embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan, and the Israeli defense establishment is concerned that Hizbullah will make an effort to strike an Israeli target ahead of the anniversary.
Security officials are also considering the possibility that the attack may have been carried out by al-Qaida or one of its affiliates, or a Palestinian terrorist group.
Last year three Hamas activists were sentenced in Jordan to five years in prison for conducting surveillance of the Israeli Embassy in Amman.
Last week's failed attempt on the lives of Israeli diplomats in Jordan was apparently carried out on instructions from Teheran, sources close to Jordan's General Intelligence Department (GID) revealed on Monday.
The sources said the GID was investigating the possibility that the explosives used in the attack had been smuggled into the kingdom by Iranian diplomats.
The attack itself was apparently carried out by local al-Qaida supporters who received money and explosives from Iran, the sources said.
On Monday, Al-Arabiya reported that an Amman taxi driver was arrested on suspicion of involvement in the bombing.
According to the sources, the GID believes that the attack came in response to the killing of Iranian scientist Prof. Massoud Ali Muhammadi in Teheran last week. Ali Muhammadi was killed by a remote-controlled bomb on a motorcycle.
On Monday, Iran's Interior Minister Mostafa Muhammad Najjar vowed to take revenge on Israel over Ali-Muhammadi's assassination.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused Israel of being behind the assassination, which he said had been carried out in "Zionist style."
The sources in Amman pointed out that the attack on the Israeli diplomatic convoy had been carried out in a way similar to the assault on the slain Iranian professor.
"We can see Iran's fingerprints on the roadside bombing," the sources said. "The investigation is continuing in various directions."
Israel has been on high alert in recent weeks ahead of the second anniversary of the assassination of Hizbullah terror mastermind Imad Mughniyeh in Damascus.
A number of attempts by Hizbullah to avenge Mughniyeh's February 2008 killing have been thwarted, including a plot last year to bomb Israel's embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan, and the Israeli defense establishment is concerned that Hizbullah will make an effort to strike an Israeli target ahead of the anniversary.
Security officials are also considering the possibility that the attack may have been carried out by al-Qaida or one of its affiliates, or a Palestinian terrorist group.
Last year three Hamas activists were sentenced in Jordan to five years in prison for conducting surveillance of the Israeli Embassy in Amman.
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